


It's Always Been You

by Bre



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, Crushes, Cute, F/M, Fake Dating, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy, Happy Ending, Making Out, POV Alternating, Past Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Romantic Fluff, School Reunion, Time Skips, the rating is because there's a lot of making out that happens, this is just a fluffy cute fest because the world is hard enough right now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:47:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23331130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bre/pseuds/Bre
Summary: AU. Tonight is their ten year high school reunion and... "I need you to pretend we're dating."
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 476
Kudos: 757





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the rest of the ficlet I posted in my [You've Gotten Into My Bloodstream](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3264089/chapters/7118255) ficlet collection. This was supposed to be a cute little follow-up, but I was having too much fun and it spiraled into a couple more chapters.
> 
> Original Anon Prompt:  
> 76 - "I need you to pretend we're dating..."  
> 80 - "How can you think I'm anything but hopelessly in love with you?"  
> 83 - "It's always been you."
> 
> Fanfiction is my coping mechanism with what's happening in the world. Thank you for joining me in my fic solace. I hope you're all staying safe, washing your hands, practicing social distancing, and finding ways to stay sane. If anything, I hope this gives you a little break from the madness!
> 
> I will be updating once a day until it's finished.

“Hi.”

Oliver Queen didn’t get the chance to look up before someone slammed into the seat next to him. They - _she_ \- hit it was so much force her chair slid into his as she nearly knocked the table over. Oliver slapped his hands on the essays he was grading, eyebrows hitting his hairline as he turned to her with a hard, “What the hell are you doing-”

He froze.

She was a burst of color - bright red jacket, long gold hair up in a high ponytail, glasses, deep fuchsia lipstick, and the glimpse of a grey and yellow dress underneath a purple scarf.

There was something so familiar about her.

“I need you to pretend we’re dating.”

Her _voice_ , he thought, just as a wave of flowery perfume and coconut hit his nose. A memory surfaced in the far recesses of his mind, but when he went to grasp it, it flitted away.

And then the words hit him.

“Excuse me?”

“Please play along,” she said in a rush, scooting even closer until their hips were glued. “I know this is insane, but I have my high school reunion tonight and someone just walked in who I sort of lied to. It would’ve been fine, except my friend Curtis bailed on me, so I don’t have anyone pretending to be my real boyfriend, which makes my lie a real lie. There’s nothing wrong with being single, damn it, but when Laurel freaking Lance asks if you’re alone in that way she asks people things, you lie. But now I’m literally alone. Except for you. A random man who happened to be sitting in _this_ coffee shop, and oh god, why did she have to come into this coffee shop, why…”

She finally looked up at him.

Her mouth dropped as his heart slammed into the floor.

“Felicity,” he breathed. 

Gone was the pitch-black hair streaked with purple, the rings in her eyebrows and nose, the dark eyeliner and black lipstick, and in their place was actual sunshine. The flowery thought made him pause, but not because it didn’t fit. It did. Perfectly. She was light incarnate. But then she always had been, ever since she’d tutored him. A sophomore guiding a senior through nearly every subject - him to graduate, her to graduate early and go off to do amazing things at MIT. 

He shook his head in amazement. “You’re here.”

“And you’re huge,” she blurted. “I mean, not _huge_ -huge, but _huge_. As in muscles. You have… so many muscles, and I can’t… stop, I’m… You’re… Oliver.”

He smiled. “Hi.”

The moment stretched out until movement behind her caught his periphery. 

He knew without having to look who it was.

“You need a boyfriend, right?” he whispered.

She started, a flush coloring her skin. “I- Yeah.”

“How can you think I’m anything but hopelessly in love with you?” he asked, raising his voice. The words startled him more than her, he was pretty sure, even as her eyes popped wide. Those beautiful blue eyes with green bursts and gold specks. Oliver cupped her cheek and tried to ignore his thundering heart and shaking fingers as her breath caught. “It’s always been you.”

He leaned in. Not all the way, not like this. But the illusion was enough for the woman standing a couple feet behind them.

Felicity closed the gap and pressed her lips to his.

Oliver gasped, electricity zapping through him. The world around them faded. Hints of blackberries and coffee and something was uniquely her lingered on her lips. _Heaven_. He barely tempered a groan as he slid his hand under her ponytail and kissed her back.

When they pulled apart, she looked as dazed as he felt, her glasses fogged.

“Oh,” she said softly, and he stared into her, thinking the same exact thing.

It took a long time to realize Laurel had moved to the table and now stood over them, staring incredulously, eyes darting between them.

Without a word, she left the coffee shop.

“I hope the two of you aren’t still dating,” Felicity whispered.

Oliver huffed. “No. Definitely not.”

“Oh. Good. Well, that would’ve made me asking if you’re going to the reunion tonight a little awkward then. Especially because she now thinks that you and I are… that you’re my… mine. That you’re mine. My boyfriend. Even though you’re not.”

“I could be.” Off her look, he added, “If you want. The fake kind. Obviously. I’m not… suggesting-”

“I’m pretty sure I already have dibs on sentence fragments.”

He huffed. “Felicity, if you’ll have me, I would be honored to be your fake boyfriend tonight.”

“I’d love you. To. I’d love to have you. Take you. Wow. Yes. I would love that.”

“Good.” Oliver grinned. “It’s a date then.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Reviews literally feed the soul and muse.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's reunion time and Felicity is freaking out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is unbeta'd and basically a stream of fanfiction madness coming straight from my brain that I'm using to cope. Please forgive any mistakes.

“Oh boy. Didn’t think this through. Not at all. Nope.”

Felicity Smoak ran her hands down her dress once. Twice. Three times. A couple dozen more times. But no matter what she did her palms were still damp and now her right one felt weird from hitting the zipper on her side over and over again. The very sexy zipper that had been a huge selling point for the beautiful red dress. It wound around her back and ended on the other side in a slit that showed off how many squats she did every day. Per Curtis, it “screamed sexpot,” and two days ago, that had been an amazing idea. Not so much now. Because now she wasn’t wearing it for her very-gay-and-in-a-very-committed-relationship-slash-roommate fake boyfriend, but for… 

Oliver Queen.

“Oh boy.” 

Felicity walked in quick, tight circles, her heels hitting the ground with decisive echoes of _‘shouldn’t be doing this shouldn’t be doing this shouldn’t be doing this.’_ She scrubbed her hands over her hip bones. Her heart pounded so hard she was positive it was going to burst right out of her chest and splatter all over the yellowing tile of Starling City High School. Chatter and thumping music reverberated down the hallway from the gym entrance.

Maybe if she stayed hidden here, nobody would even know she was there. 

“Felicity?”

Or not.

“Yes?” She spun to the voice, plastering on a smile. It faltered when she saw the elegant, willowy form approaching her. “Laurel. Hi.”

“So that was you,” the other woman said as she approached. She wore a beautiful black and silver sheath of a dress that somehow made her a hundred feet taller. A smile was on her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Especially when Felicity just stared at her uncomprehendingly. “At the coffee shop. You know, where you were kissing Oliver. So, are you two together now? How, uh… how long has that been going on?”

Questions. Too many seemingly polite questions in that Laurel Lance tone that Felicity knew was anything but. Felicity opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She was suddenly hot and cold at once, her nerves fritzing as her mind went blank.

Not good.

Laurel lifted an eyebrow.

“There you are.”

Over Laurel’s shoulder, Oliver appeared.

He was a sight for sore eyes and Felicity’s chest physically ached as she took him in. He looked amazing in a simple suit and tie with a shirt that was well-tailored and did nothing to hide all the muscle he most definitely had not had before. His scruff was delicious, that very grabbable hair of his perfectly-coiffed, his blue eyes striking, and those lips… 

Lips he had used to kiss her a few hours ago.

_Oh boy._

He stepped up behind Laurel. 

For a split second, it was high school all over again. Felicity was positive she was going to see what she had seen dozens of times - Oliver wrapping his arms around Laurel from behind as he pressed a kiss to her cheek before resting his chin on her shoulder. Felicity’s heart stopped when he touched Laurel’s back, when Laurel turned to him…

But then he passed her and came to Felicity.

“Hi,” he said, a warm smile on his face. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his side before pressing a kiss to her temple. Her heart sputtered. The spot where his lips touched tingled and when she looked up at him, when their gazes met, when she saw the way he looked at her as he gently slid his hand up her back…

She almost thought this was real.

But it wasn’t. Fake, remember? _Fake_.

Felicity swallowed hard. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he repeated, his smile widening. His eyes drifted down to her dress. “You look amazing.”

Her heart tripped all over itself again and she forgot how to breathe. 

_Oh boy._

“I was just asking Felicity how this happened,” Laurel interrupted. Loudly. Felicity jumped and as one they looked back at her. That same smile was on her face. “I mean, I see you all the time, Oliver, and you never thought to mention it?”

_Right_.

“Well, I’m always working,” Felicity said, “so it’s not like I’ve been around. I mean, I’m around him. All the time. We’re together all the time. Like a… like a couple is. I can’t get enough of this guy, you know. We’re always together. We’re practically engaged.” She blanched and slapped Oliver’s chest. Really hard considering how he grimaced and looked down at her with what could only be described as a _‘shut the hell up’_ look. It didn’t work, though, because she _kept going_. “And by practically engaged, I mean not engaged at all. Because we’re not. That’s fast. Like, _really_ fast. Right? But I mean, anything can happen. Eventually. In, like, years. Or another… galaxy.”

Oliver’s eyes were wide, his lips pressed together tightly.

“I’m just… saying?” Felicity added lamely.

“I had a laptop,” Oliver offered with a furrowed brow at her before raising an eyebrow.

“Right. A laptop. His laptop.”

“I spilled a latte on it,” Oliver continued. “Totally fried it.”

“He did. Ruined it.”

“And Walter recommended I go to her because she’s the best.”

“Because my company works with Queen Consolidated. And I couldn’t not help because it physically pains me to think of any piece of tech being subjected to an attack like that-”

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t change that it happened. And I know the lecture I gave him about not drinking or eating near any computer stuck because now he doesn’t do it anymore. Right?”

The corner of his mouth ticked up and she realized how stern she sounded. Felicity made an apologetic face at him, but he shook his head, his hand drifting back down her spine. “That’s right. It’s the least I can do since she saved me.”

It couldn’t be healthy that her heart kept stuttering like this, right? 

“You give me too much credit,” Felicity told him.

He rubbed circles against her back as he gazed at her. “I don’t give you enough.”

_Oh boy._

“Besides,” Oliver finally said, his eyes lingering on Felicity before he looked back at Laurel. Right. _Laurel_. Felicity looked at the other woman and found her staring at them with an inscrutable look. “When I do see you, it’s usually just me and Tommy talking about work.”

“Right,” Laurel said. “Speaking of, where is our esteemed principal?”

“Tommy’s the principal?” Felicity said with a chortle before she could stop herself. Oliver’s fingers dug into her waist and she started. “Which I knew. I knew that. Because Oliver told me. It just sounded weird coming from someone who isn’t Oliver. That’s all. I knew that.”

“Smooth,” Oliver said under his breath and she flushed, shooting him a look. It looked like he was fighting a smile as he told Laurel, “I haven’t seen him yet.”

“Guess I’ll go look for him then.” Laurel’s bland smile didn’t move as she looked between them. “This is just so interesting. Maybe not all that surprising, though. You guys did spend a lot of time together in high school…. right?”

Oliver stiffened, his hand freezing where he’d started sliding it back up Felicity’s back. It was interesting how comfortable she already was with it. That, and how much she missed it when his hand fell away.

“That didn’t happen,” he said.

Felicity frowned.

“Oh,” Laurel replied. “Well. That’s good to know.” Her smile was saccharine sweet as she looked back at Felicity. “Good to see you, Felicity. I like the new look.” None of them missed the change in inflection when she said, “Oliver,” before walking away.

“Uh, did I miss something?” Felicity asked. “Because I remember lots of afternoons-”

“She didn’t mean that,” Oliver said. He stepped away and it was only then that Felicity realized she’d wound her arm around his back at some point. Her hand lingered in the air between them, feeling oddly empty before she lowered it. She flexed her fingers. It was stupid to miss something that she’d never had in the first place. Oliver cleared his throat. “I wasn’t the best boyfriend to her.”

“Oh. _Oh_. So… all those rumors about you and… people who weren’t Laurel…”

He clenched his jaw, his cheeks flushing as he ducked his head. He seemed to catch himself, though, because he closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and then made himself look up again. 

The smile he gave her was tight. 

“Well, I can confirm that you are definitely a good boyfriend to me,” Felicity said. “Fake boyfriend, that is. You’re doing great. A-plus all around. Or, should I say fiance, because apparently we’re almost engaged.” A genuine smile broke through and it felt like the sun coming out for the first time in days, making her smile in return. At least her babbles were good for something. “I should probably apologize for the rest of the night, because my foot-in-mouth syndrome seems to be on steroids right now.”

“It’s actually refreshing.”

“Oh, you say that now. But then in ten minutes when we’re talking to someone else and oh hey, we’re celebrating our ten year anniversary, and oh, did you know we just got back from Disneyland with the kids? Crazy how time flies, am I right!”

Oliver stared at her with a weird look on his face and her stomach pitched. 

“See, I’m doing it even when we’re not around other people.” The look didn’t change and Felicity winced. “I’m sorry. This is a horrible idea, isn’t it? You know what, nobody else has seen us. We can go tell Laurel that this was just a, uh… an accident. A fling, and that it’s over because we both realized how insane it was. Because you and I, it’s… it’s unthinkable. And then you can have your reunion night back from the crazy lady who hijacked it from you.”

Oliver tilted his head. The look on his face… softened, was the only way to describe it. 

And then he started closing the distance between them.

She thought her heart had been beating fast earlier? 

“You don’t have to do this,” Felicity said. Why was her voice breathy like that? She swallowed hard, but then Oliver was standing before her and all she had left in her brain were the denials ready to go, falling out of her in a rush. “No obligation. No reason, really-”

“I’m pretty sure I was the one who volunteered to do this,” Oliver said quietly.

“Yes, but under duress-”

“Felicity.”

“And I’m the one who lied in the first place,” she continued. “I’ll go tell Laurel right now that I’m a lying liar and you were an innocent bystander who doesn’t deserve whatever _this_ is-”

“Felicity,” he repeated. 

He reached out and took her hand in his.

And laced his fingers through hers.

Her words tumbled out even faster. “Because you _are_ a good person, Oliver, and you shouldn’t have to do this. And yeah, you made some bad choices, but who hasn’t, right? I did. A few weeks ago, and then earlier today, and right now. Lying is bad. I lied about having a date, and that actually makes all of this super ironic since you just got reamed for having too many dates, and I have to lie about having one because I’m-”

“Felicity.”

His finger landed on her lips.

She froze.

He lingered, for a moment, before letting his hand fall away. But not before his fingertip brushed over her cheek, and then her shoulder, down her arm. 

“I want to do this for you,” he said.

“Why?” 

That look was back on his face. He parted his lips, taking a slow breath. His other hand was still wrapped up in hers. His thumb drifted up her index finger. She held her breath, waiting for what he was going to say, because _what if_ … 

No. That was ridiculous. Right? 

“You know what, you don’t have to answer that,” Felicity said quickly. “You don’t owe me anything. In fact, I’m going to owe you, so when this already very long night is over, you have a huge favor coming your way.”

His gaze never wavered. “You promise?” 

Felicity struggled to think. To remind herself what this was. To act like a normal human being.

But it was really hard when he looked at her like _that_.

He stared at her, waiting.

Felicity finally nodded with a whispered, “I-I promise.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Reviews literally feed the soul and muse!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity run into more old friends and get closer to being on the same page.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for fabulous response, I'm so insanely glad you guys are enjoying this fic!

Oliver watched her lips move as she said, “I promise.” Lips he had already been lucky enough to feel against his own, lips he had touched a second ago, because he had been too close to cutting her off with a kiss.

She promised.

He was going to hold her to that. 

“Queen!”

They both started, the boisterous call of his name shattering the bubble they’d been caught in. For a second, the music, the chatter, the unique smell of gym mats and chlorine that this part of the building always held, all of it had disappeared.

It was just so easy to fall into her.

“You son of a bitch.”

The words had Oliver smiling, especially when Felicity blinked rapidly as she turned to face the approaching couple. It did not escape his notice that she didn’t let go of his hand, keeping their fingers laced together. He had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from grinning like an idiot.

“Lyla?” Felicity asked just as the other woman’s jaw dropped on a surprised, “Felicity?”

Oliver didn’t get the chance to hear or see more because the hulking man next to their old classmate dominated his vision with a finger in his face. “What’s this I hear about you talking to my wife more than your commanding officer?”

“If I remember correctly, she was also my commanding officer,” Oliver replied. “And yours.”

John Diggle chuckled. “She still is,” he said before throwing an around Oliver’s shoulders and yanking him in for a back-thumping hug. “It’s good to see you, man.”

“You too,” Oliver said with a grin. When he felt Felicity’s arm moving away from him as she hugged Lyla, his fingers instinctively tightened around hers. Too late he realized what he was doing, and it occurred to him that he should probably let go. But then her fingers grasped onto his just as tight. He wondered if Digg felt his heart somersault, or if the slam of it was something only he felt.

“Felicity, this is my husband, John Diggle,” Lyla said with a radiant smile as she looked up at her husband. “Johnny, this is Felicity Smoak.”

“Felicity Smoak,” Diggle said slowly, holding his hand out.

She finally let him go. 

Oliver followed her hand without even thinking, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Lyla as Diggle and Felicity shook hands. His former - and far scarier - commander raised an eyebrow at him and he ducked his head before she could see his blush. He instantly felt stupid. They were professionals, damn it. She had just called him for a consultation three days ago. This was ridiculous. Biting the tip of his tongue, he looked up, hoping to keep his eyes on Diggle and Felicity. Except all he saw was the knowing smile on Lyla’s face that made his blushing worse. She barely stopped herself from laughing out loud. 

He glared at her and she pinched her lips to keep from grinning.

It was like they were in high school or something.

Diggle smiled at Felicity. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“You have?” Felicity’s eyes darted to Lyla. “I hope only good things because judging by the size of your arms, you could not only throw me across the room, you could bench press three of me.”

Diggle chuckled and then looked at Oliver. “Only good things from this guy.”

His cheeks practically burst into flames.

“Is that so?” Felicity asked as she looked up at him. 

Oliver glanced at her and he could only imagine how bright red his face was because the amused tick of her lips turned into a full-blown grin. He turned his glare on Diggle.

“Thanks for that,” Oliver said to him with a pinched smile. 

Diggle shot him a needling grin. “What? It’s true.”

Oliver was ready to flip him off, but then he got distracted. By Felicity wrapping her arms around his and lacing their fingers back together. A trifecta of sensation walloped him - his breath caught, his stomach dropped, his heart spasmed. He looked down at their hands and then at her smiling face.

He couldn’t look away, and he didn’t want to. 

“So this is new,” Lyla commented, forcing them to refocus on their surroundings. 

Felicity’s eyebrows popped as she looked up at Oliver, just as his furrowed as he looked at her. The synchronicity was perfect, and he smiled while she said, “Well…”

“Newish,” Oliver offered, glancing back at the couple. “We’re definitely not engaged.”

The startled look on both their faces alone would have been worth it, but what really made it was the huff from the woman next to him. His grin exploded as he looked at Felicity in time to see her rolling her eyes.

“Uh, that’s…” Lyla started as Diggle’s eyes bounced between them.

“He’s making fun of me,” Felicity said, jabbing her nail into his side. He jerked with a noise at the ticklish pain and she did it again. He managed a near-silent, “Hey,” that only she heard. She stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled as she explained, “I now suffer from a severe lack of brain filter.”

“She’s exaggerating.”

“I really am not.”

“It’s cute.”

“Until I’m telling people about our sex lives. No, not that. Never that. There’s nothing to tell. Not to say there isn’t anything to tell, because there is. Of course there is, have you seen this guy? Talk about dreams coming true- I’m… going to stop talking in three, two… one.”

Oliver leaned into her, his lips ghosting over her temple as he whispered, “Don’t you dare.” 

A hint of coconut filled his senses as her hair tickled his mouth and chin. He lingered, probably too long. The thought disappeared when she practically fell into him, and he kissed her temple as she squeezed his hand really hard at her faux pas.

He didn’t mind in the least.

It suddenly hit him that this was the second - no, third? Fourth? - time he’d kissed her forehead.

“I think I hear a drink calling our names,” Diggle said as Oliver pulled back to gauge her reaction. But she had buried her forehead in his shoulder. Was it her words, or because he was pushing the line of pretending? Diggle clapped Oliver on the shoulder, jerking his attention back to the other man. “See you guys in there?”

“Yeah,” Oliver replied as Felicity finally pulled back and gave them a nod.

“Oh, and hey,” Diggle said with a nod to Oliver to step closer for a moment. He pulled away from Felicity enough for her grasp on his arm to slip, but not their hands. “Lyla told me you’re gonna be assisting on the Ghost Fox case. I’m taking the lead on it.”

“Sounds good.”

“I’ll hit you up in a bit.” Diggle waited for a confirming nod from Oliver before he glanced at Felicity. “It was very nice to finally meet the woman who makes this guy realize life is something to enjoy every once in a while.”

Oliver cursed under his breath. “Give it a rest, will you, John?”

“Never.”

With a wink, he and Lyla headed back to the gym entrance.

“Did he say Ghost Fox?”

“Hmm?” Oliver asked, looking back to her. “Yeah. It’s a, uh… consulting project I’m doing for them. I do some work for them on the side from time to time.”

“You know, I don’t actually know what it is that you do. Which I probably should.”

“Well, this semester I’m teaching Russian and French.”

“You’re a teacher?”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” Oliver grasped her hand tighter in his and tugged for her to follow him towards where a semi-steady stream of people were stopping at a long table to pick up name tags before entering the gym. “Last year it was Spanish and Mandarin. I have a knack for languages.” He basked in the awed look she gave him and he couldn’t help but ask, “Impressed?”

“Extremely,” Felicity replied. “And… confused.” Off his look, she added, “Not about you. It’s more that I don’t remember them offering such a colorful array of languages when we matriculated.”

“No, we definitely didn’t. But Tommy needed a foreign languages teacher and I needed a change.”

Understatement, he mused silently, although the weight of it didn’t hit as hard as it usually did.

“A change,” Felicity repeated slowly. “Does that have something to do with whatever you needed commanding officers for?”

“Uh…” There was the hit. Oliver tried to shake it off. “Yeah. It… it’s a long story-” 

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to. I shouldn’t have asked. I have this thing about mysteries and you are proving to be quite the mystery.” Felicity stopped walking and he turned back to her. “I’m sorry.”

He frowned. “For what?”

“Oliver, these aren’t just old high school buddies we’re talking about,” she said. “They’re your friends. Like, real friends. You served together, if I’m guessing right, and you work together, if I’m - again - guessing right, and I’m asking you to lie to them-”

“Felicity. Stop. Please.” The look on her face told him she had every intention of doing the exact opposite. The table holding name tags was blissfully people-free, so he stole the moment to grab theirs before she could get a word in. Most of them were already picked over, so it was easy to spot theirs. Coming back, Oliver held her name tag out to her. “How about we put these on, go inside, get a drink, mingle, dance, do whatever people who attend these things do.”

She reluctantly took it. “Oliver…”

“C’mon. It’ll be fine. I promise.”

She stared at him for a beat before sighing. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you doing this for me.”

“You’re you,” was all he said as he put his name tag on.

Felicity harrumphed and held up her nametag where her senior picture sat next to her name. “Are you sure your brain didn’t get all jostled around in the last few years, because I remember this girl being particularly bitchy most of the time. Not exactly worthy of a favor like this.”

“You are literally the only reason I graduated, Felicity.”

“That’s not true,” she said as she situated her name tag on her left shoulder. “You were always way smarter than you gave yourself credit for.”

“See? That right there is why if it’s you asking, I’ll do it,” Oliver said. “Because you believed in me when nobody else did.” He held his hand out to her. “Shall we?”

It took a moment - really, it took an eternity, if his racing pulse had anything to say about it - but then she gifted him with a gorgeous smile. 

It was like the clouds parting and the sun shining down on him for the first time in years.

She grasped his hand in hers.

It fit perfectly.

“We shall.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Reviews literally feed the soul and muse!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get the origin of ‘Olicity,’ hear Oliver’s ‘f*ck you, Ray’ voice, and wait, who kissed who first?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the amazing response! I really enjoy this update, I hope you do, too!

_Wine. Stat._

Streamers, balloons, and cheap flashing lights bombarded them when they walked into the decked-out gymnasium. Starling City High had gone all out, recreating a visual monstrosity she thought only existed in the movies.

“Oh my,” Felicity said.

“Tommy doesn’t know how to do understated.”

“He never did, if I remember correctly. It actually makes the fact that he’s principal even funnier, honestly. And on that note, how exactly did that happen?” 

People spotted Oliver as if he had a neon sign plastered to his forehead. 

The greetings and shoulder hits were for him. She got the double takes. Admittedly it was probably because she looked nothing like she used to, but it was also likely because she was with the Oliver Queen. The thought _‘Oh god, this is a monumentally bad idea’_ hit her just as Oliver stiffened under the barrage. And he didn’t pause long enough for people to talk past the greetings. Actually, he seemed as uncomfortable as she felt being at the center of it with him.

“Tommy becoming principal?” Oliver asked, continuing their conversation despite the people interrupting. “It started with his mom, actually. You know the Merlyns have those clinics in the Glades? She extended those services to the high schools when the budgets started getting too tight to keep anyone on-staff, and it eventually morphed into other things, like counseling. When she got cancer, Tommy took over, and one second he was working with kids in the clinics, then he was at the schools, and then he was on staff here. He says he charmed his way into the job, but it’s actually because he’s really good at it. Shockingly good, even. And he’s amazing with the kids.”

“And is Laurel a teacher here, too?” Felicity asked, noticing the leggy woman at the beverage bar where she helped make drinks. Her yearning for wine evaporated.

“No,” he replied. “She’s a lawyer. But she’s heavily involved with things here.”

“So it’s true what they say about school spirit never dying?”

Oliver chuckled. “No. More a hazard of being married to the principal.”

“Uh… Huh?” Felicity looked up at him. “Please explain that sentence.”

A loud, “Oh my god,” stopped Oliver before he could. 

They both stopped short when a familiar face appeared before them. Cisco Ramon looked exactly like he did in high school - same hair, same faux-suit shirt with a loose jacket, and the same excited look as his eyes darted between them with a grin. 

“You two.”

_Oh god._

“Cisco. No,” Felicity said firmly. “And also, hi, it’s been so long. Please stop talking. Bye.”

She grabbed Oliver’s arm to move around him, but Cisco dodged in front of her before they could get away. “Oh no, I don’t think so, Smoak. Because I _knew_ it.” 

“Knew what?” Oliver asked.

Or she thought he asked that. She vaguely heard the question coming from the general area where he stood, but it got lost in the rush of white noise crashing through her ears.

“Did she tell you what I used to call you guys?” Cisco asked.

“No,” Felicity said loudly. Very loudly, judging by the people turning to look from around them.

“Olicity.” Cisco grinned, his entire face animated as he waited for a response. “Right? Oliver. Felicity. _Olicity_. I always saw you guys hunkered together at the little table in the library, and you always started at opposite ends of the table, but by the end of the day, you were…” He made a noise as he clapped his hands. “A walking, talking trope come to life right before my eyes. I _knew_ something was going on between you two and now here you are. C’mon, gimme the deets, when did this happen? Right after high school, right? How come I haven’t heard anything about this?”

Felicity was too stunned to do anything save for whispering, “Oh god.”

“Oh, hey!” Cisco said to someone over her shoulder. He pointed at her, then Oliver. “I expect the full story. With pictures, if possible.”

And then he was off.

Felicity blinked. “Did that just happen?” 

“I think it did,” Oliver said and oh dear god, that only reminded her that Oliver heard those words coming out of Cisco’s mouth. Felicity groaned and she bowed her head. She tried to take her hand back from him to cover her face, but he didn’t let her, instead tugging her closer as he turned her to face him. It would have been sweet except she could hear the laughter in his voice as he asked, “Olicity, huh?”

“Oh no. No, sorry, no, that’s not an applicable topic of conversation tonight. Nope. That didn’t happen.” Felicity flashed him a falsely bright smile. “Hey, you wanna get drunk? Let’s get drunk.”

He laughed and smoothed his free hand down her arm. “I think it’s catchy. What’s a trope?”

“It’s nothing we’re going to be talking about,” Felicity replied and it only made him laugh more. She meant to glare up at him, but the sight of that toothy grin and the crinkles at his eyes and the dimples and… And it only reminded her that the word _‘Olicity’_ had been spoken _to his face_. “I suddenly really don’t care who’s serving the drinks, let’s get something because I doubt that will be the last interruption-”

“Felicity!”

“ _Frak_ ,” she breathed, freezing at the voice, immediately recognizing it. She made a face and then plastered on a smile as she turned. “Ray. Hi.”

“Hey.” The Superman-esque man bounced up to them with an infectious grin. It dimmed slightly when he saw Oliver, but it didn’t go away, especially when he turned all of it right back at her. “It’s so good to see you. I haven’t seen you since that conference in Vegas. I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

This was truly the night from hell. It was almost laughable that she had thought this would be a good idea. She was a moron.

“It was a last minute decision,” Felicity said. She yanked on Oliver’s arm. “You know Oliver, right?”

“Of course,” Ray replied, holding his hand out. “Oliver Queen. I hear you’re teaching here now.”

“Ray.” The sudden change in the cadence in his voice sent an unexpected shiver down Felicity’s spine. It distracted her enough from the unwanted walk down memory lane as she looked up at him, watching a smile that was decidedly not genuine. Oliver shook Ray’s hand. “I do teach here, yes.”

Felicity had never put much stock in the deep voice thing, but now? She kind of got it.

“We were just about to hit the dance floor,” Oliver continued.

“Yes,” Felicity added, stepping towards the area where people were already moving in a giant group to whatever song was playing. It didn’t matter, in the slightest. “We were. Gotta fill that dancing card.”

“Save a dance for me, maybe?” Ray asked.

“Yeah. Maybe.”

Felicity didn’t have to drag Oliver out to the dance floor, he was right behind her. One hand hovered on her back, warm and steady, and his other grabbed her elbow to steer her towards the farther edges of the group. It was only then she realized she’d been headed straight for the middle, as if all the dancing bodies would hide her from any other familiar faces. Which was the exact opposite point of a reunion, wasn’t it? Why had she thought this would be fun? She wanted to blame Curtis, and she consciously did… 

But a voice reminded her that there had been another reason altogether.

That reason stopped short and pulled her against his chest as a slower song came on. He wrapped an arm around her and captured her other hand in his as he started swaying. 

“What is my life right now?” Felicity asked under her breath.

“What?” 

“Nothing. Nothing, just… A lot has happened already, right? Like, a lot.”

“It has. I figured at least out here, people would wait until the song was over before trying to walk down memory lane.” He looked down at her. “I hope that was okay what I did back there, with the dancing. It was the only thing I could think of to get out of that. He really hasn’t changed since high school.”

“Definitely okay. Definitely. You’re the only one I want to dance with.”

A slow smile pulled at his lips. “Yeah?”

“You always have been.”

Did she really just say that?

She decided she didn’t care as she watched his smile grow. It took over his entire face, and she thought, _God, he’s beautiful_. 

“I usually hate dancing,” he mused softly even as he slid his hand up her back and tugged her closer. Felicity gladly leaned into his embrace. His hand sprawled over her upper back, cocooning her, and she wound her arm around him as he started running his fingertips up and down her spine.

Warmth unfurled deep inside her.

“Well, I’m glad to be the exception,” she replied as she let herself snuggle into his chest. He wrapped her up and her eyes fluttered shut. His stubble chin brushed the top of her head, then her forehead… 

When he pressed a kiss to her temple, she couldn’t hide her sigh. 

He stiffened.

“Is that okay?” Oliver asked quietly and she looked up at him. “I’m just now realizing we didn’t really talk about what we’re doing here, and I keep doing that. Kissing your forehead. If that’s not okay, I’ll-”

“No, please. I like it. It’s… nice. Besides, you already kissed me earlier, so it’s not anything _new_ , per se-”

Oliver furrowed his brow. “You kissed me.”

“What? No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Oliver, I have that entire interaction memorized,” Felicity told him. “Me busting into your coffee shop bubble - and trust me, I have gone over that moment so many times because how didn’t I know that was you? Because I should have. But I was so crazy and not thinking and also, what are the odds? And then you were you, and then you asked me if I needed a boyfriend, and you said, you know… what you said, and then you leaned in and you… You kissed me.”

“That all happened, yes, except I didn’t go all the way.”

Felicity frowned. “Yes, you did.”

His smile was pinched as if he wanted to break out into a full-fledged grin. “No. I didn’t. You kissed me, Felicity.”

“No,” she argued, rewinding back to that moment. “No, I… I… Oh god, I did. I kissed you, didn’t I? Oh god, I blocked that part. Because I _threw_ myself at you. Not even _smooth_ throwing, just _throwing_. That was our first kiss? That’s not good. That’s a horrible first kiss. Not that I’m insinuating there’s going to be more. Especially if that’s what we’ll be following up-”

“I don’t know, I actually liked it.”

“Oh, really?” she asked. “You like when people just go right for it, like…” Felicity put two fingers together and pushed them up against his lips with a definitive, “That.”

A steady bolt of awareness arched between them as they both stopped moving. They stared at each other for a beat until common sense knocked reality back into her head. Just as she felt his lips - his very soft, very kissable lips - moving under her fingers, she yanked them back. 

Ha, and he was worried about kissing her forehead when here she was finger molesting his mouth-

 _Why_ did her brain think the way it did?

“You know,” Oliver mused as she flushed at her thoughts, ducking her head. “We could try again.”

“What?” Felicity asked, jerking her head up again.

He stared at her intently and her stomach bottomed out. She was suddenly vividly aware of his hand in hers, that his fingers were stroking hers, that he dragged his thumb up and down her palm. He slowly licked his lips and her eyes dropped to his mouth.

“Can I kiss you, Felicity?”

She couldn’t have looked away from him even if she wanted to, and it was then she knew he had her. Completely. Totally. And she didn’t want to be anywhere else. Not for anything. Not when the boy she’d had a crush on for as long as she could remember looked at her like that, when he held her as if maybe, just maybe, there _was_ more going on here, that maybe… 

She nodded.

Oliver leaned in, brushing his nose against hers, his lips caressing hers in a hint of what was to come… 

A promise.

Felicity sighed, melting into him.

He kissed her.

Soft, so soft. She parted her lips, just a bit, just enough to get more as she kissed him back. Hints of mint and something that was solely him flooded her senses. They moved together, kissing, tasting, gentle and easy. His tongue drifted over her lips and she made a tiny noise of approval, angling her head to match his as she sought out more of him, her hand sliding up to cup his jaw. His fingers dug into her back at the touch, a little moan slipping out. The needy sound hit her square in the chest. Her heart squeezed and she arched up on her toes to get as close as possible, wanting nothing more than to kiss this man for the rest of her life… 

And she did, she thought. She wanted that. 

And maybe he did, too.

They pulled apart slowly, but not completely. Both of them chased chaste kisses from the other that set her entire being on fire.

God, she couldn’t catch her breath.

“Felicity?” Oliver finally whispered, his voice ragged and thick.

“Hmm?”

He pulled back to look at her. He was even more gorgeous with flushed cheeks and wet lips.

“I need to ask you for that favor now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Reviews literally feed the soul and muse!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About that favor...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful response! I hope you enjoy this update. One more tomorrow!

Oliver only had eyes for her.

If there were other people around them, if there was music, if there was anything else happening, absolutely none of it registered.

She was stunning.

Glassy eyes, rosy cheeks, swollen lips, her lipstick still intact, but now darker with the plumped edges. He swore she got more beautiful every time he had the privilege of looking at her. And when she looked at him like she was now? Like maybe she felt what he did? The possibility alone sent him soaring, to a place so high he wondered if he would ever come down from it. 

A little furrow appeared between her brows in the cutest frown ever. “Favor?” 

He smiled and curled their tangled hands into his chest as he cupped her face with his other hand. He brushed his thumb over her cheek and his entire being lit up when she closed her eyes on a hum and leaned into his touch.

“You said I could ask a favor for helping you out tonight.”

He watched the reality of his words hit her in waves. He sincerely hoped it wasn’t a different one than the reality he was harboring… _treasuring… hoping…_

“Right.” She closed her eyes on a shake of her head, a fleeting smile crossing her face. When she looked back at him, the luminous emotion that had lit her up had dimmed. “What can I do to make up for these shenanigans?”

“Pretend we’re just two people who ran into each other at a coffee shop.”

Felicity blinked. “Is that not what happened…?”

“It is,” Oliver replied with a stroke of her cheek and a shaky breath. “But for what I’m about to ask you, I don’t want you thinking it has anything to do with returning a favor or any sort of payment. I want you to answer as if you hadn’t needed a boyfriend, and you’d just come into the same coffee shop I happened to be in.”

“O-okay-”

“Felicity Megan Smoak, will you go out with me?”

She didn’t answer right away.

The seconds ticked by and he was painfully, vividly aware of every single one. They slowly morphed into minutes as the walls of the gymnasium gradually closed in around him. But he didn’t move, just watching her watch him, her eyes searching for something that he hoped - _prayed_ \- she would find. He tried to decipher the rapid array of emotion that whipped over her face, but he didn’t know her well enough to understand any of it, to try and predict what she was going to say. It left him in a flurry of anxiety that built higher and higher. It randomly occurred to him that it was probably creepy that he knew her middle name, and he honestly didn’t remember how he came about that knowledge - if it had come from her, or someone else - and now here he was using a “favor” to get her to go out with him… 

She still didn’t say anything.

His heart crashed to the ground and he barely stopped the crestfallen look threatening to take over his face. 

If that was her decision, he wasn’t going to push her.

Then Felicity bit her bottom lip. 

Oliver stopped thinking. In fact, _everything_ stopped as her mouth curled up in a secretive smile and she narrowed her eyes… 

“I don’t know,” she hedged, and Oliver held his breath. She swept her fingers over his stubbled jaw, and then his bottom lip. Which only confused the few remaining working brain cells he had left, until… “I think I need another kiss before I answer. You know, just to be sure-”

With a little growl that had her giggling, Oliver swooped in and pressed his lips to hers. 

This kiss was different, and they both knew it the instant they connected. Their smiles drifted off as the passion that had been simmering under the surface for longer than he could remember burst to life between them. There wasn’t anything gentle or inquisitive about the way they fell into each other, about the way he licked at the seam of her lips, begging entrance, or the noise of surrender she gave him when she opened for him, her tongue slipping out to meet his. Oliver growled again and dropped his hand to the side of her neck, his thumb riding the line of her jaw to press her chin up, to angle her just how he wanted her. Their tangled fingers broke apart, her hand grabbing at the lapel of his suit, his dropping to wind around her waist, to pull her flush against him. He had tasted heaven earlier, but this went so far beyond that. This was pure paradise, utter euphoria, bliss wound tightly with a passion and need that he’d never felt before.

Only when the burning in his lungs became too much did he break away from her.

“Is that a yes?” Oliver panted against her lips.

Felicity gave him a short, dazed nod, her eyes half-closed, a breathy whine slipping out.

“Yes?” he asked again, needing to _hear_ it.

“Yes,” she whispered. She smiled and the sight of it filled him with a dazzling warmth. “Yes, Oliver Jonas Queen, I will go out with you.”

“On a real date?”

“A real date.”

“So you’ll be my real girlfriend?” he teased, brushing his nose against hers.

“If you’ll be my real boyfriend.”

“Yes,” Oliver breathed. “God, yes. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear that.”

“Well, if it’s anything like how I feel…” A gorgeous rosy blush colored her cheeks. “Then it’s been a long, long, _long_ time.”

On a grin that nearly broke his face in half, Oliver kissed her again. And again… and again… 

“Hey, hey, hey!” a voice said from somewhere. “None of that here, you two! I want to see at least a foot of distance between you, right now.”

Their surroundings came back in a rush. But it wasn’t as overwhelming this time, not like when they’d first walked in. Probably because of the woman in his arms. The woman who had agreed to go on a date with him. _For real._

Oliver kissed her. 

He kissed his _girlfriend_.

“C’mon now, a foot. A whole twelve inches.”

They both laughed as they turned to look at their smiling intruder. 

“What is this, high school?” Tommy Merlyn joked as they parted. But they didn’t go far. Oliver grabbed her hand in his again and she immediately laced her fingers through his. A ridiculous grin covered his face as he squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back. Tommy didn’t miss a single thing. He smiled like an idiot at Oliver before looking at Felicity. “Ms. Smoak, it’s lovely to see you.”

“You too, Tommy,” she replied. “Or should I say Principal Merlyn?”

“Oh no, I’m already getting enough about that tonight. The principal stayed home. It’s just Tommy tonight. I didn’t mean to interrupt you two crazy kids, I just wanted to say hi. Mostly because Laurel told me about this and I had to see it with my own eyes. Now that I have, please go back to making out as if this was prom night and not actually our ten year reunion. Just please get a room before those hands wander to any other places.”

“Lovely,” Oliver commented dryly as Felicity blushed.

“Hey, just calling it how I see it.” Tommy chuckled, getting far too much joy out of their discomfort. “I hope you two know you’re coming over for dinner soon.”

“Oh,” Felicity said, glancing up at Oliver. “I don’t if Laurel would…”

“If Laurel would what?” the woman in question asked as she sidled up next to her husband.

Felicity stiffened and she squeezed Oliver’s hand so hard his fingers nearly popped off. Laurel had on a genial smile. It was a change from earlier and he knew Tommy had calmed the waters.

“Dinner,” Oliver said.

“Oh, that was my idea,” Laurel said. Felicity squeezed him even harder. “I was… caught off guard earlier, that’s all. Who knew a high school reunion would be just like high school, right?” She laughed, and though it still felt forced, Oliver knew she was trying. “We would love to have you both over for dinner. If you want.”

“That… Okay,” Felicity said. “Yeah. Sure.”

“Yeah,” Oliver agreed. “Thank you.”

“Good. We’ll set it up, then.” Laurel’s eyes darted between them again. “This is nice. You both look… You look happy.”

“You do,” Tommy confirmed. “Although it is freaking me out how much Oliver is smiling right now.”

Oliver rolled his eyes and shook his head. Felicity’s death grip on him loosened, and he glanced at her to see her already looking up at him. His smile was automatic, and it seemed to be directly tied to hers because she grinned right back.

“See, look at that,” Tommy said. “I didn’t even know his face could do that anymore.”

“Okay, let them get back to dancing,” Laurel said, pushing her husband in the other direction. She offered them another smile, and Oliver returned it. He knew the memories they shared weren’t altogether happy ones, but they had both moved on, to better lives, and he was glad to still have both of them in his life. “See you guys later.”

“Yeah,” Oliver offered as the couple walked off.

“Guess it’s a good thing we’re really dating now,” Felicity said. “Although we might have to fess up about how we really met. Or re-met. Or whatever.”

He turned her to face him once more, his hands finding her hips as she wound her arms around his neck. He knew there was music playing, but for the life of him he couldn’t tell what it was, or even if the slow sway they set up matched the beat. He also absolutely did not care, and neither did she as she gazed up at him.

“I thought our laptop story had some good dramatic flair to it.”

“More than some random girl practically molesting you in a coffee shop?” Felicity asked with a twinkle in her eye.

“Wait.” Oliver frowned. “I miss the molesting part. I think I need a refresher.”

Felicity chuckled, her fingers playing with the fine hair at the base of his neck. “If you play your cards right…” she teased. He threw her another playful growl and slid his hands around to her back to pull her closer. She grinned up at him the entire time. “If we really want to top the coffee shop story, I think from now on the laptop should have bullet holes.”

“Bullet holes, huh?”

“Yes. Bullet holes. Because you stole the laptop from a very bad guy who shot at you and the poor tech took the brunt of it, and you needed a computer genius to save the day for you. Well, the tech day. Because you save the day by spending your nights on a vigilante crusade helping the people of our fair city.”

“That’s very Batman of me.”

“Oh, very much so.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve been binge-watching this show on Netflix…”

He smiled, contentment washing over him as she described it, just holding her, staring into her beautiful eyes.

“So earlier you mentioned you have your own company?”

“I do.”

“That’s incredible. Tell me about it?”

She did. And about what she’d been doing for the past ten years, and then it was his turn to fill in the blanks. They talked to other old classmates here and there, but for the most part it was just them, on a quasi-first date that culminated into a makeout session against the side of her car a couple of hours later.

“I’m leaving…” Oliver said between kisses, making no move to do any such thing. “Any second.”

Felicity nodded, humming something that sounded a lot like, “Any second,” against his lips before kissing him even more.

Somehow a couple kisses spiraled into a couple dozen and then ten minutes passed.

Oliver groaned and he forced his lips from hers. The late summer night air was cool compared to the heat building between them. The heat he wanted nothing more than to dive into and never leave. He groaned again and let his forehead fall against hers. Oliver closed his eyes on a ragged breath, trying to find an ounce of control. But when he opened his eyes again, all he saw was her biting her lips as she tried to catch her breath herself, and her hands with her dark maroon nailpolish where they were wrapped around his tie.

She took a deep breath and pulled back to look up at him. “Right. Time to go.”

They didn’t move.

Her lipstick was smudged and he couldn’t help but go in for another kiss.

Just one more… and another… 

“God, you’re killing me,” Oliver moaned and she hummed in agreement, kissing him again.

He stole one more and then made himself reach around to open her door that she had unlocked a while ago. 

When she pouted, he had to physically nail himself in place to stop from lunging at her. But he stayed strong, managing to get her into the car. Which unfortunately proved to be a whole other challenge when the zipper on the slit of her dress rode higher, revealing more of her thigh. His palm tingled remembering how soft she was from the few touches he had stolen. But more than that, it was the way she looked up at him from under heavy lids. 

Oliver almost climbed right in there with her.

The only thing that stopped him was there literally wasn’t room in her Mini Cooper.

“Can I see you soon?” he asked, leaning in. “Tomorrow?”

Felicity grabbed his tie again and tugged him down for another kiss. “Tomorrow sounds perfect.”

“Good,” he murmured against her lips as his lower back protested the awkward angle. He crouched down in front of her open door and kissed her more thoroughly. “I’ll call you.”

“Okay.”

Another kiss. One more. Just one more.

“Okay, I’m going now,” he said, moving to stand. “For real-”

She stopped him with her hands on his shoulders. “Wait, Oliver…”

Oliver waited, but she didn’t say anything, not right away. He tilted his head. “What is it?”

“I want you to know that it’s always been you for me, too,” she said softly. Oliver’s heart stopped. She cupped his face with gentle, shaking hands. “I know what you said at the coffee shop was for show-”

“That wasn’t for show. I meant every word.”

Her eyes widened. “Every word?”

“Every word. And I know that’s probably too much too fast-”

Felicity cut him off with a kiss. 

It was a kiss that spread light to every corner of his being, and it would be the kiss she would give him nearly every night for the rest of their lives, the kiss that would always bring him right back to this moment, to when his life changed forever in the best way possible.

“I mean them, too,” she said. “I mean, I know I didn’t say the words, but I feel the same-”

Oliver grinned so hard it hurt and he kissed her with everything in him.

He ended up not making it home that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best part of writing with a T rating is "oh, fade out time, don't need an extra 5k" while also thinking "wait this needs oodles more smut." <\-- But that's only because EVERYTHING needs more smut. I felt it was softer to leave it like this with them.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Reviews literally feed the soul and muse!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten years later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final part! Thank you _so much_ for the wonderful response to this little story! I had so much fun writing it, and I'm so glad it could put a smile on your face in this crazy time. I hope you enjoy one last peek at Oliver and Felicity's life together!

_Ten Years Later_

“Hi.”

The man at the table glanced up just as Felicity dropped into the chair next to him. She caught his raised eyebrows as she set - alright, _tossed_ \- her purse and laptop bag onto the table. The move nearly knocked his coffee over and he grabbed for it before it could topple onto what looked like exam papers. She would have felt bad except she did it on purpose. Ish. To distract him.

“Uh,” was all he got out before Felicity wrapped her arms around his very nicely-sized bicep and plastered herself to his side. 

“I need you to pretend you’re my husband.”

He hissed through his teeth. “Sorry. As tempting as that is, I’m already taken. In fact, I’m waiting for my wife.”

“Oh. Well, that’s a bummer. She’s one lucky lady.”

“Oh no, I’m the lucky one,” he told her, giving her a wink before leaning in for a kiss. She smiled against her husband’s soft, coffee-flavored lips. “Considering she was the one who picked my table and not some other random joe.”

“Imagine if I _had_ chosen some other poor sap that day,” Felicity said.

“I’d really rather not,” he said, turning back to his grading.

She smiled, setting her chin on his shoulder. She studied his profile, noting the way his lips twitched with a smile at her attention before he found his concentration again. And then he was back to his work. Felicity drank her husband in. Age was being very good to him - there were a couple more lines in his face, but they were laugh lines, and silver peppered his dark blonde hair now, very sexy, and only visible when the right light caught it.

Felicity didn’t want to think about a world where they hadn’t found each other either.

Even if their path together hadn’t been easy.

She held him tighter as she thought back to when their happy bubble had burst. 

Turned out “Ghost Fox” was actually her supposedly dead ex-boyfriend abusing her very complicated, very dangerous code. After shutting down Starling City and robbing as many banks as he could, he went on to sell the code to the highest bidder, turning an already out-of-control situation into an international crisis. It had been bad. Really bad. For the world, but especially for their relationship when her connection came out and ARGUS thought she was behind it. And then, icing on the cake, Oliver’s past with the U.S. government came to light when it was determined Felicity was the only one who could dismantle the code. Despite her adamant objections - his safety, number one, but two, it was her responsibility, and three, they were on rocky ground anyway, talk about interpersonal issues - Oliver had told Lyla and Diggle that he would be the one getting her in and out, end of story.

Not everyone got to say they had engaged in life-or-death espionage with the love of their life.

But they got through it, and everything else after that, after learning one important lesson:

They were better together.

“Kids get dropped off okay?” Oliver asked.

“Mhmm,” Felicity said. “All safe and sound with Grandma Moira. They took all their Disney goodies with them to show off, including that very attractive picture of you on the rollercoaster.”

“Lovely,” he said with a sarcastic huff. She didn’t miss his little smile.

“I also talked to my mom and she’s going to pick them up and keep them until Monday.”

That got his attention.

“Oh?” he asked, setting his pen down and turning in his chair to face her. His hand landed on her thigh, his wedding ring catching on the sunlight peeking through outside. He flashed her a smirk that was all promise and she licked her lips in anticipation. He followed the motion as he teasingly slid his fingers to where her legs were pressed together. “And what exactly are we going to do with an entire house to ourselves?”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” Felicity whispered with husky promise before kissing him. “And then we’re going to _sleep_. We are sleeping _in_ and it is going to be _amazing_.”

He laughed. “That sounds perfect. Are you still helping out tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m heading over there after I get some coffee. Laurel’s in a tizzy because Tommy wants to do something with a disco ball.”

“That sounds like a nightmare.”

Felicity chuckled. “It could go either way. Which means I need an extra, extra large latte to deal with it. I’ll be right back.” The line moved quickly, and when her name was called, she enthusiastically thanked the barista. She returned to her husband with a loving caress across his shoulders before she leaned over him to grab her bag. “Alright, I’m out. I’ll see you there.”

“Sounds good.” Oliver leaned back to look up at her. “Kiss?”

Cupping his jaw, Felicity kissed his cheek, then his lips, then his cheek again in a quick series of noisy smooches.

The content smile that graced his lips filled her heart with joy.

“Now, just to be sure…” Felicity brushed his lengthening hair off his forehead before cupping his cheek. “Oliver, if you’ll have me, I’d love to go to our twentieth high school reunion with you as my very real and very amazing husband.”

“I’d love you. I mean, I’d love to have you.” She huffed and Oliver sent her a teasing wink as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “I mean, to _take_ you-”

“I was flustered.”

“It was cute,” he said, tugging her closer. “I love your sentence fragments. And I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She kissed him. “So is that a yes?”

“Definitely a yes,” Oliver said, smiling up at her. “My very real, very amazing, very sexy wife.”

“Good.” Felicity grinned. “It’s a date then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fun story, I had many wild tangents hit me about where this story could go, from this gently soft little ride here, to something that had way more smut, to something that was an actual multi-chapter monstrosity. I decided to temper myself and put a snippet in there just in case something ever happens in the future that I want to revisit (and perhaps even an original concept because it's just _such a fun idea_ ).
> 
> Thank you so very much for joining me on this journey! Thank you for reading, and reviews literally feed the soul and muse!


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